M.H. e-mails concerning our report on the Johns Hopkins University’s confiscation of copies of the campus conservative newspaper, the Carrollton Record, for daring to report on a university-subsidized speech by gay pornographer Chi Chi LaRue (see “Gay Porn at Johns Hopkins,” May 19 and the Mailbags for May 23 and May 26; Jered Ede’s original story for Human Events Online is here):
“I’m (duh) a big liberal, but people lying by omission or distorting the truth make me much, much angrier than conservatives who just honestly disagree with me.(and that goes double whenever the liars happen to be on MY side–THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MICHAEL FREAKING MOORE).
“Similarly, I note that a JHU spokesman has now explained TCR’s removal by saying, ‘There are so many student publications, and we don’t want the halls to become cluttered.’ What an idiot..”
I couldn’t agree more, M.H. A principled liberal you truly are. Free speech ought to be for everyone.
Now comes reader Alexandra, who loves Alison’s report on the “101 Ways to Experience Diversity” list circulating at Elizabethtown College (see “Duh-versity,” May 23):
“WOW–that diversity list was totally awesome. I was going to tell you my favorites, but I lost track.
“OK, just one: ‘Get dressed with your eyes closed. just for kicks.’ One more: ‘Get a job only to experience diversity, understand. not for any other reason.’
“When I entered my very liberal boarding school, I remember being sent a list of things not to say, things that might offend people from other cultures. The list has really stuck with me for many years, because it was so awful and wonderful all at the same time. Just so you know, from now on don’t say, ‘Going Dutch.’ ‘caught red-handed,’ or ‘picnic.'”
I fully understand that Communists and persons of Netherlandish extraction have very sensitive feelings–but “picnic”–what on earth could that be all about?